Receive postcards from us

You have Successfully Subscribed!

The ache in us

Daniel Almazán Klinckwort

Photographer

Fernweh(German)(n.) An ache to travel distant places; the craving for travel.

The best thing about traveling is that it allows you to experience the moment. You enter another time frame composed only from that which lies ahead of you. The world becomes different and to a certain extent, unreal. For me, travelling is about disappearing for a while; to let go of that next meeting, email or social media post. It is for this reason that Ana and I travel as much as possible. It has become our lifestyle, we are starting to think of ourselves as a sort of modern nomads and we love that idea. As photographers, working while traveling is extremely powerful and inspiring. To open up to new experiences has a great influence on our creative process as it allows us to connect deeper with our inner selves by being in the moment and avoiding everyday worries and distractions.

Baja California Sur, being the least populated state in Mexico, turned out to be the perfect place to unleash our creativity. Because of its location, one can find the most varied and amazing coastal landscapes and climates. These create an insane contrast when put next to the dry deserts and red mountains covered in rocks and cacti. Plus, there’s amazing food everywhere you stop and very little phone signal.

We just wanted to get lost for a while. We flew to La Paz and rented a small but apparently reliable car and took to the Carretera Transpeninsular, a single, two lane that follows the length of the Baja California Peninsula.

We just wanted to get lost for a while.

Isla Magdalena was one of the first places we visited. This 80 km long sand barrier protects the Mainland from the fierce Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of the peninsula. We came to this place on a quest for sand dunes we wanted to photograph for a personal project. We arrived at the Adolfo Lopez Mateos Port after a 3 hour drive from La Paz, and met Rafael, one of the many boat operators that take tourists whale watching. Rafael crossed us over to the island and into the sea of dunes. Here we spent hours away from the mainland’s tourists, wandering under the sun and photographing the dunes.

Eventually, without realizing how much time had passed, we found out that Rafael had abandoned us. We returned to the agreed meeting point to find out that our trusted boatman was nowhere to be found. We jumped into the sea to wash off the heat and hollered at the passing boats full of baffled tourists to come to our rescue. We eventually caught another boat that took us back to the port and we continued driving north.

The most memorable drive on this trip was the way from the coastal town of Loreto to the amazing San Ignacio Lagoon (Laguna de San Ignacio). This is a little known but incredible whale watching destination in the middle of nowhere. We first drove on a small road next to the sea with an epic view of Bahía Concepción (where the most popular camping beaches are located). The last hour of that trip was spent driving through a dirt road crossing a huge salt flat approaching the lagoon. And here is where the reliable part of our “not ideal” rental car comes in. We hit the bottom of the car so many times, and so hard, that we couldn’t believe it was still going. It felt as if it was going to completely fall apart while driving through a never-ending trail of bumps, holes and sand traps. I can honestly say we are lucky to have made it. We still had to drive back on that same road eventually, but for now we were there and this place was incredible. We set up our tent next to the lagoon at sunset on the Kuyima campsite, to the sound of over 300 gray whales and their calves coming out to the surface to breathe. Then the moon and the stars came out and it almost seemed too gorgeous to be real. We were mesmerized by the beauty of the space realizing that perfection was possible, yet only found in nature. We stayed up for a while, taking in as much as we could until finally dozing off.

The San Ignacio Lagoon is one of the world’s most important and better-protected nurseries for gray whales. Every year, hundreds of them come to give birth and teach the young whales to dive and feed. After an amazing night and a boat ride to get a closer look at the whales, we packed our things and drove back into the crazy dirt road heading to Guerrero Negro, the last city before the peninsula turns into Baja California Norte.

Guerrero Negro is the most popular place for whale watching in Baja. However, our visit to this town was for different reasons: we wanted to find more dunes, at Dunas de la Soledad, and to visit ESSA, the world’s largest salt mine responsible for the production of 15% of the world’s salt. Roberto, a former worker at the mine, was our guide. Due to security reasons, the mine is only accessible with a special permit given to qualified tour operators, or in our case, to a friendly and well connected retiree that is passionate and nostalgic enough to invite strangers over and drive them around while telling them the stories about his time spent there. Guerrero Negro was the last stop on our road trip before heading back down. Now we were on a quest to reach the southern tip of the state all the way down to San Jose del Cabo.

On the way down we got to camp out on some of the most perfect and untouched beaches and hang out with retired RVers. A memorable stop on the way south was Playa Coyote, a popular camping beach on the Concepción Bay that we spotted on our drive up. This is place is why every year hundreds of Canadian and American RVrs, mostly retirees, drive down to Mexico escaping the winter, to spend months camping and traveling around what many of them refer to as “Paradise on earth”. We camped on the beach, at a temporary commune that exists only for 2 or 3 months a year. Here, campers feed off fresh fish and banana ice cream, spend their time kayaking, biking, swimming with whale sharks and getting involved in philanthropic activities. Talking to them, and listening to their view of the world, was truly amazing. These people are a living proof that travelling changes you and re-shapes you entirely. They come from a life of experience, and have concluded that travelling is the best way to spend their days.

We eventually made it all the way south and spent some time in Todos Santos and San Jose del Cabo relaxing after claiming victory for a tough 10 day drive across the state. We spent most of this time reflecting on what this trip and the people we met had taught us. Driving into unknown, deserted and ever changing landscapes, felt at times like venturing deep into my mind. After some hours, driving becomes meditative; you are aware of what surrounds you but are at the same time deeply immersed in yourself. To experience nature and freedom in such a way, to stop caring even if it is in small doses, really changes your perspective on how we should be living. It changes your rhythm. Moving around freely gives you a deeper sense of independence and helps you focus on the little things. Daily problems turn to dust and living becomes important. This is why we travel – no matter if it’s only a short trip. Disconnect. Be with yourself and the people around you. Be in the moment.

Sri Lanka is a changing country – the recent flux of tourism has undoubtedly caused the country growing pains, however some local hotels are striving to value and maintain the economy and ecologies that make the place such a destination.

On one side of the Rio de la Plata sits the giant Argentina, with its cultural strength and breathtaking landscapes.
On the other side, more reserved and characterised by a tender humility, sits Uruguay, with its discreet beauty, wild landscapes, and varied fauna and luxuriant flora.

Far from civilization and mostly accessible only by foot, bothies are secluded mountain shelters scattered across the British Isles, tirelessly maintained by volunteers from the Mountain Bothies Association.

After driving through so much of the country I was fortunate to see dozens of different environments and lifestyles and meet many new people, some of whom I was able to photograph. This collection of images is a sample of the America I saw during those two weeks on the road.

“Lately I have spent some time with people who believe they are their ancestors. They believe they are the same entity passed down through bloodlines from one person to the next, mapped from generation to generation.”

Rum, revolutionaries and retro cars – Cuba has a back-in-time appeal. Though a trip to Cuba seems undoubtedly romantic and exciting, you’ll need to understand how the island works to get the best out of your visit.

It’s a sad day when you feel embarrassed to talk about the place you call home because it has the cruelest treatment of refugees on the planet. We hope in some small way our photos can open up further dialogue about treating refugees more humanely and create social and political change.

Tony Butt is sure an impressive human being, not only because he rides waves the size of three-story buildings, but for the humble and extreme, mundane and exhilarating, sustainable unsustainable life that he leads.

I loved the contrast between the peaceful Japanese nature and the grotesque mess of sexual, horrifying and DIY characters. The next day I bought more rolls of film and missed the train for a second night in a row…

Between two jobs I had an opportunity to travel to Cuba last summer. I did not want to go to any all-inclusive resort. After 2 or 3 days it was clear: I was going to shoot colours, symmetry and complete strangers.

I wondered why or how I’d never been there before, let alone not even heard of it. I remember looking around the landscape deciding where I would build my future home, figuring out how I would manage to get a lifetime supply of food and water in there so I never had to leave.

When friends or family ask why the hell I would sell everything I own and move into a school bus to travel full time, this is the story I tell them. Of course, not every day living the life of a dirtbag traveler is as amazing as this one.

I left Iran nearly a decade ago. I left and moved to Australia—to the end of the earth—leaving much behind. And like all migrants, I miss the things I left behind: the taste of the air; the trees’ sweet smell; the song of the streets and of the crows at sunset…

Now available for online purchase, The Adventure Handbook’s very first piece of print Learning as we go showcases stories, interviews and photography from Australia and around the globe which will make you remember that life’s short.

I love a road trip. I’ve been on dozens of them around the world and in 46 states. The American road is a bit over-romanticized. That Kerouacian idea of finding yourself is overplayed, but there’s something out there in the mountains, deserts, plains, and cities that I can’t explain.

This story is for Halzan. He was violently mugged and passed away less than two weeks after I visited him. He changed how I see the world and gave me the courage to begin thinking about what I’m afraid of.

Pushkar is full of life, and all walks of it. The whitewashed streets of the old city jam falafel stands with groups of Israeli travellers, Tibetan garden restaurants, Hindu pilgrimage temples, and colourful groups of gypsy tribes side by side.

To the victors go the spoils as they say in the classics. Check out who took home the bacon as well as the top-50 or so finalists who helped us lose countless hours of sleep trying to pick the winning shots.

When you face a trying situation on your own you have no choice but to step up and figure out a way over/around/through it then deal with the consequences. This is often made a little easier and less humiliating by the fact that no one is there to watch you melt down or fall apart.

Four-wheel driving through the Flinders Ranges, getting chased by emus, swimming with seals, dodging a cyclone – all in a days work for Adventure Handbook photographers Isabella Moore, Nick Green and Che Parker. Part 2 of our guide to South Australia picks up from where we left off as we unravel one of Australia’s best kept secrets.